Syndicated
by Erin T. Aardvark
Summary: The criminal organization, The Syndicate, is back, and under new management, which could spell nothing but huge trouble for the Impossibles. Rated T as a precaution.
1. Transformers

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here we go again with another infamous "sequel." This is another one that goes with "Family Secrets." As usual, The Impossibles and Big D belong to Hanna-Barbera. Everyone else you encounter belongs to me. Also, the Impossibles' real names, as well as Big D's real name, are my own creations, since they were never given in the cartoon.

* * *

_

The Impossibles were playing another sold out concert to a theater full of screaming teenage girls. Once they finished their last song, Coiley's guitar began beeping.

"The Impossibles reporting for duty, chief!" he shouted.

"We need you boys back at headquarters," Big D said. "Get here as soon as you can."

"Uh oh, this must be big," Fluey said.

"Yeah, we don't usually get called in for mission briefings," Multi said.

The Impossibles and their dog, Skittles, ran out the stage door, jumped into the Impossi-Mobile, converted to Impossi-Jet, and took off toward Megatropolis, and the SSHQ building. Once they reached the building, they immediately went up to Big D's office. His secretary, Phyllis Dawson, was waiting for them.

"What's up, Phyllis?" Coiley asked. "Something big?"

"You'll see," Phyllis replied. Then she pushed the button on her intercom. "The Impossibles are here now, chief."

"Good," Big D's voice said over the intercom. "Send them in."

"Go on in, fellas," Phyllis said.

The Impossibles walked into Big D's office. The head of the SSHQ science department, Reggie Johnson, was in there with him.

"What's up, chief?" Coiley asked. "Must be pretty big to call us in instead of giving us a briefing over the guitar."

"This isn't a mission briefing," Big D said. "I'll let Dr. Johnson take the floor."

"Thank you, chief," Reggie said. "Boys, we've finally managed to do it. We've perfected a way for the three of you to switch to your alter egos without having to be together."

"About time," Fluey said. "It took you long enough!"

"I know," Reggie said. "But science just can't be rushed. Anyway, here you guys go."

Reggie handed the boys a small device each. They were black, and had two different colored buttons on them (Coiley's were both purple, but one was lighter than the other; Multi's were red and black; Fluey's were green and blue).

"I color coded them so you'll know who's is who's," Reggie explained.

"Makes sense to me," Multi said.

"Do they work?" Coiley asked.

"We'll see in a minute," Reggie said. "Multi, Fluey, take a couple of steps back and give Coiley some room. Coiley, push the dark purple button."

"Huh?" Coiley asked, a little confused. "Why me?"

"You're the leader, Coiley," Fluey said, shrugging.

Coiley shrugged, and pushed the button on his hand held device. In a swirl of psychedelic colors, he was suddenly transformed into his superhero alter ego.

"Hey, what do you know?" he asked, sproinging upward. "It works!"

"Not quite," Reggie said. "We still need to see if it can change you back. Push the light purple button."

Coiley pushed the button a second time, and in another swirl of psychedelic colors, he reverted back to his rock 'n roller identity.

"Looks like the experiment is a success, Reg," Multi said.

"Not yet," Reggie said. "You two need to test yours, so you're on, Multi! Red first."

Multi went forward, giving himself some room, and pushed the button. His results were the same as Coiley's. He multiplied a bit to make sure his powers worked, pushed the black button, and transformed back to his rock 'n roll identity. Then, Fluey came forward, and pushed the green button on his device, at Reggie's instruction. He transformed, liquified for a moment, reverted to solid, and pushed the blue button, returning to his rock 'n roll persona.

"And thus completes the experiment," Reggie said.

"Exceptional work, Johnson," Big D said.

"There are a few things I still need to tell you guys, though," Reggie said. "These things will only work if you hold them. Meaning if someone else manages to get their hands on one of them, nothing would happen when they push the button."

"So, if we should accidentally drop it somewhere, and someone picks up and pushes the button, nothing?" Multi asked.

"Exactly," Reggie said. "Mike pointed that one out to me while I was working on them. He wanted to know how I was planning on keeping you guys from transforming if someone pushes the button at an inopportune time. Such as playing a concert."

"Yeah man!" Fluey shouted. "Good idea to include that, Reg. And thanks for finally finishing these. Now we won't have to worry so much about being separated when we're not in our hero forms."

"Right," Coiley said. "Well, we'd better get going. We've got a tour to go on."

And with that, the Impossibles left the facility. While on their way out of town, Coiley's guitar began beeping again.

"What's up, Big D?" he asked, once he activated the TV in his guitar.

"Run of the mill bank robbery," Big D said. "Nothing _too_ serious. Just a routine."

"We're on it, Big D!" Multi shouted.

The boys then converted to Impossi-Jet, which also converted them into their superhero identities.

"Rally ho!" they shouted, as they proceeded to the robbery in progress.

Two men, one fat and the other skinny, wearing black and white striped shirts, black pants, and black masks were running out of the bank with bags full of cash when the Impossibles arrived on the scene.

"Hold it right there!" Multi Man shouted, duplicating around the masked men. "We've got you surrounded!"

"Dat's what you tink!" the fat thug shouted, and he whipped out a gun. He began firing at Multi's duplicates, destroying them all.

"I got 'em!" he shouted.

"Except the original!" Multi shouted, punching the thug in the nose, causing him to drop his money bag.

"I'm gettin' outta here while I can!" the skinny thug said.

"Rally ho-ho!" Fluey shouted, going into a quick conversion. The skinny thug stepped right into him, slipped, and fell flat on his back. The money bags he was carrying flew right into the air. Coiley stretched his arms out and caught them.

"We give up!" the skinny thug shouted. "We surrender!"

"When will these crooks ever learn it's impossible to defeat the Impossibles?" a nearby policeman asked as he and his partner took the two bank robbers into custody.

"Thanks a lot, boys!" the second cop shouted as the Impossibles took to the air in the Impossi-Jet.

"Rally ho!" the boys called out as they flew away.

The Impossibles then converted back to their rock 'n roll form and their jet back into car mode so they wouldn't get _too_ many weird looks coming into town. They checked into their hotel for the night, and decided to catch a few Z's. They didn't have a gig until the next night, anyway.

"The work of a rock 'n roll singing superhero secret agent is never done," Coiley said, yawning.

"At least we can rest up for awhile," Fluey said, stretching. Multi and Coiley agreed, and the boys retreated to their rooms for the night.


	2. Bustin Loose

The Megatropolis Maximum Security Prison housed some of the most notorious crooks in the entire city, but none so notorious than three gangsters named Nicky Calamari, Johnny Malone, and Gino Portobello. They were members of a criminal organization known as The Syndicate. It used to be run by a man named Antonio "Big Tony" Manikatti (but most everyone called him "Don Manikatti"). Don Manikatti had been killed in a car crash not too long ago, which put the Syndicate out of commission. All the members who were still at large were finally caught and taken to prison.

That particular evening, Gino was sitting on his cot, playing "Red River Valley" on a harmonica, and driving both Nicky and Johnny crazy with it.

"Gino, would you cut it out already?" Nicky asked.

"But they always play the harmonica in prison movies," Gino said.

"This ain't no movie, Gino," Johnny said. "I gotta get outta here before I go stir crazy!"

"Don't worry," Nicky said. "I've been working on busting out. Now here's the plan. You boys just leave everything to me. We're outta here at midnight."

At precisely midnight, when everyone else was asleep, Nicky, Johnny, and Gino made their move. Nicky took a hammer he had been hiding out from under his cot, and gently tapped a spot on the wall. Oddly enough, the wall began cracking, and crumbled.

"Let's book!" Nicky shouted, and the three gangsters dashed out of their cell as fast as they could. They managed to sneak out of the front gates undetected, and hitched a ride in the back of a nearby laundry truck. They hid among the clothes, sheets, and towels, and the doors were shut. Then the driver of the truck climbed in, and drove off, unaware he had three hitchhikers.

Three hours later, Nicky, Johnny, and Gino hopped out of the truck (after it had stopped at a red light), and ran off.

"Well, we did it," Gino said. "Now what do we do?"

"What else?" Nicky said, shrugging. "We take revenge on the person responsible for landing us in the slammer in the first place."

"You mean that Franky McAlister kid?" Gino asked.

"I don't know, Nick . . . . ." Johnny said, hesitantly. "That kid's pretty slick. And besides, don't you remember what we found out from Guido and Joey?"

"Yeah, the McAlister kid's Don Manikatti's grandson!" Gino shouted. "Anthony Manikatti. Little Tony. I don't think the don would like it if we offed his grandkid!"

"You're forgetting because of 'Little Tony,' Don Manikatti is pushing up daisies!" Nicky shouted. "That punk kid drove the car off the cliff in that killed Don Manikatti! Not to mention what he did to my car! I wanna give that brat exactly what he deserves!"

"But where are we gonna find that brat, Nicky?" Johnny asked.

"We'll just have to do some legwork," Nicky said. "Let's go."

And with that, the three gangsters were off on their search. They had to do it on foot, until daybreak. There wasn't a car lot open at this time, and they didn't necessarily want to hot wire and steal somebody else's car this soon after busting out of the slammer.

At about nine or so in the morning, Coiley was sitting in his hotel room, watching a rerun of _I Love Lucy_ (they happened to be running the episode, "Job Switching," which was Coiley's favorite episode), when the program was interrupted.

"We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin!" the anchorman said.

"Awww," Coiley groaned. "And just when they were getting to the candy factory part, too!"

"Last night, there was a jailbreak at the maximum security prison in the city of Megatropolis," the anchorman said. "The three men who escaped have been identified as Nicky Calamari, Johnny Malone, and Gino Portobello, part of the criminal organization known as the Syndicate."

"The Syndicate?" Coiley repeated. "Holy mobster mash!"

"If you see these three fugitives, contact the authorities immediately," the anchorman said. "We now return to our regularly scheduled program, already in progress."

Immediately, Coiley turned off the TV, and ran out into the hallway. He banged on Fluey's door first.

"Fluey, open up!" he shouted. "It's important!"

"Coiley, I'm trying to sleep," Fluey grumbled, sounding a bit groggy. Coiley groaned. He knew Fluey was a late sleeper. He'd sleep until noon, if Coiley and Multi let him, but they never did.

"Come on, Fluey!" Coiley yelled, still banging on the door. "It's _really_ important!"

"What's going on, Coiley?" Multi asked, as he and his dog, Skittles, exited their room.

"I'll tell you once Fluey lets us in," Coiley said.

Multi and Coiley then heard Fluey muttering, and the door finally opened.

"What's so important, Coiley?" he asked.

"I'll give you two words," Coiley said. "The Syndicate."

"The _Syn_dicate?!" Fluey shouted, incredulously. "But . . . . . but I thought . . . . . since Tony Manikatti's dead, they locked up all the members! I mean, he _is _dead . . . . . . isn't he?!"

"Whoa, Fluey, hold it, before you give yourself a heart attack," Multi said. "You'd better explain this a little, Coiley."

"I was watching _I Love Lucy_, and a news flash interrupted the show," Coiley said. "Three of Manikatti's men escaped from the Megatropolis Maximum Security Prison last night."

"Oh boy . . . . ." Fluey groaned. "I know what's coming, too. I've seen every single gangster movie ever filmed. Cement shoes, here I come!"

"Aren't you overreacting a little, Fluey?" Multi asked.

"Overreacting?" Fluey repeated. "Multi, do you even _know_ what I went through the last time tangling with the Syndicate?! When Manikatti hijacked the Impossi-Mobile, _I_ was the one who swerved it, causing it to crash down that cliff on Dead Man's Curve!"

"He has a point, Multi," Coiley said. "They _might _hold Fluey responsible for that accident."

"Well, I just don't think they'd come after you, Fluey," Multi said. "I mean, you _are_ Manikatti's grandson . . . . ."

"Don't remind me," Fluey said. That was the one discovery about his birth parents he wished he had never found out. His birth mother was Antonio Manikatti's daughter, and in an agreement she made with her father, her first born son would be given the name Anthony. And Fluey was ready to kill anyone who called him that (and he absolutely despised the nickname "Tony").

"I think we'd better be alert at all times," Coiley suggested.

"Right," Fluey and Multi agreed.

The boys decided not to worry about it for the time being. They had a gig that night, and they had to rehearse for it.

But, as luck would have it, Nicky, Johnny, and Gino, having rented a car from a place just outside of Megatropolis, had arrived at the hotel the Impossibles were playing, just in time for the concert. Nicky stopped the car when he saw a familiar looking orange-red vehicle in the parking lot.

"I think this is the place we should start looking," he said.

"How do ya figure that?" Gino asked.

"That's little Tony's car," Nicky said. "He and a couple of his pals were driving it when I first met him. I'd know it anywhere."

"Yeah, you can't really forget a weird lookin' car like that, can ya?" Gino asked.

"We'd better make sure of this," Johnny said.

The three men got out of their car, and walked into the hotel lounge. The place was so packed, the Impossibles didn't notice the mobsters in the audience.

"That's him, all right," Johnny said.

"You want we should make the grab now, Nick?" Gino asked.

"Nah," Nicky said. "Too many people around. We'll have to wait until tonight. Come on, let's split before they see us."

Johnny and Gino agreed, and they followed Nicky out of the hotel and to the car. Then they drove off to bide their time.

The Impossibles, after finishing up their concert, retreated to their rooms for the night. They had to get up bright and early for their next stop on the tour.

"Wow, what a night," Fluey said. "I'm wiped out."

"Welcome to the club," Coiley said. "But, in the long run, it was a great gig."

"Yeah, we packed 'em in like sardines again," Fluey said.

"I just hope it never gets too out of control," Multi commented. "Oh well. Goodnight, fellas."

"'Night, Multi," Fluey said, giving Skittles a scratch behind the ears, and then he retreated to his room. Coiley and Multi went into their rooms as well and turned in for the night.

It wasn't until one in the morning when Nicky, Johnny, and Gino returned to the hotel. They parked their car by the service entrance, and snuck in through there.

"So where do we start?" Johnny asked.

"We'll just have to check room by room," Nicky said. "Luckily, this is a small hotel. Only two floors."

Johnny and Gino nodded, and they scoured the first floor and checked every room by looking through the keyholes. When they couldn't find what they were looking for, they went to the second floor. After awhile, Nicky finally found the room he wanted. He quickly pulled out a skeleton key, and unlocked the door. The three men quietly walked into the room. They found Fluey sleeping soundly. Nicky smirked, and poured some kind of liquid onto his handkerchief.

"Wake up, little Tony," he said.

"Huh? What?" Fluey asked, waking up. Then he saw Nicky, Johnny, and Gino standing before him, and gasped.

"You!" he shouted. "How did you . . . . ."

Before he could go on, Nicky pressed his handkerchief over Fluey's nose and mouth. Fluey let out a scream, and tried to grab his transformer device, but Nicky held him back, until Fluey succumbed to the chloroform, and lost consciousness.

"Okay," Nicky said, hoisting the unconscious teenager over his shoulder. "You two grab his stuff. If his pals find his stuff here and not their pal, they'll get suspicious."

Gino and Johnny quickly gathered Fluey's things together, including his guitar, and transformer device. Then, they quietly snuck back down the stairs, and out the service entrance to their car. Nicky put Fluey in the backseat, and Johnny climbed in afterward. Nicky got into the driver's seat, and Gino was riding shotgun.

"Okay," Nicky said. "Come on. Let's split before somebody sees us!"

And with that, Nicky started up the car, and drove off.


	3. Clean Slate

Coiley, Multi, and Skittles got up the next morning, ready to hit the road for the next stop on their concert tour. They stood by Fluey's room and knocked on the door.

"Okay, Fluey, wake up and face the music!" Coiley shouted. "Time to get going!"

There was no answer. Skittles began whining, and she pawed at the door.

"He knows we have to get going," Multi said. Then he began banging on the door, a little louder than Coiley had. "Fluey, come on! We don't want to be late for our own concert!"

"He must really be sacked out," Coiley said. Skittles began whimpering harder, until it became a full scale whine. Then, she backed up, revved up until her legs became a blur, and blasted right for the door, knocking it off it's hinges as she hit it.

"Skittles!" Coiley shouted. "I don't think _that_ was necessary!"

"Wait a minute, Coiley," Multi said. "Skittles only acts like that when she knows there's trouble afoot. Come on. Let's investigate."

The two boys walked into the hotel room, only to find it empty. Immediately, Skittles began sniffing around.

"Nothing's here," Multi said, looking all over the room. "You don't think Manikatti's men showed up last night, do you?"

"No," Coiley said, looking around. "There's no sign of a struggle. And if Manikatti's men _had_ been here last night, then I think Fluey's guitar and stuff would still be here. He could have left on his own, to avoid the two of us getting mixed up with Manikatti's goons."

"That's a possibility, Coiley, but I'm not sure it's really what happened."

"Why not?"

"Just ask Skittles."

Coiley looked over at the pup. She was sitting there, looking at both Multi and Coiley, her eyes huge, and full of worry. The Impossibles couldn't explain it, but Skittles _always_ knew when one of her boys was in trouble.

"You've got a point, Multi," Coiley said. "Let me go get my guitar. I'm gonna see if I can call fluey before I call HQ."

Multi nodded. He picked up his pup, and followed Coiley out of the room. They both went into Coiley's hotel room, and Coiley picked up his guitar, and activated the TV screen in it.

"Come in, Fluey," he said. "Do you read me?"

Coiley waited, but he wasn't getting anything.

"Maybe he's out of range," Multi said.

"He can't be," Coiley said. "If he were, I'd get static. I don't know why he isn't answering."

"Well, keep trying. Maybe he took his communicator off to take a shower or something, and he can't hear it."

Coiley nodded, and kept the signal going.

At that moment, Fluey _did_ hear his wrist communicator beeping. It had awakened him from that chloroform induced slumber from the night before.

"Mmmppphhh," he moaned, as he slowly came to his senses. He had no idea where he was, now. The only thing he remembered was seeing Manikatti's goons in his hotel room, being grabbed, and then being put to sleep. Now he was in some unfamiliar room, laying on a bed, with his ankles tied together, his hands tied behind his back, and gagged, and his wrist communicator going off.

Fluey shook his head to regain composure, and sat up. He began maneuvering his hands to get them loose, or at least to reach his communicator to activate it. He figured either Coiley or Multi was calling to find out where he was. If he could activate it, even though he couldn't tell his friends (unless he managed to untie himself before activating his communicator), But he didn't encounter the beeping attracting Nicky, Johnny, and Gino's attention. They suddenly came into the room, and found the source of the noise.

"Darn kid's watch alarm," Johnny grumbled, and he immediately took off Fluey's wrist communicator.

"Wait a minute," Nicky said, taking the device from Johnny. "This ain't no watch! This is a SSHQ device!"

"You mean he's an agent?" Gino asked.

"Doesn't surprise me," Johnny said. "I mean, we're the ones who offed Jack Dawson after the Don found out his daughter spent a weekend in a hotel room with him. He must've been the result of that little weekend."

"How do you like that?" Nicky smirked. "Even though you've never met your biological daddy, you're following in his footsteps."

Nicky let out a sarcastic laugh, dropped Fluey's communicator on the floor, and stomped on it, crushing it.

"Well, you'll definitely follow in his footsteps when the time is right, little Tony," he said.

"We ain't gonna do the job now?" Gino asked.

"Nah," Nicky said. "I need time to prepare. Not to mention some time to think over how to do this. I'm not sure if I want to do it quickly and get it over with, or slowly and watch him suffer."

The three gangsters laughed and left the room, locking the door behind them. Fluey groaned, and continued to try to untie himself. It was about all he could do now.

Meanwhile, Coiley deactivated his guitar, and turned to Multi.

"He's not answering," he said. "Five minutes of trying to call him, and he never even answered."

"Coiley, I think we'd better call the chief," Multi said. "I have a feeling, if anyone associated with Big Tony Manikatti is involved, it's going to be noting but trouble."

"Good idea," Coiley said, and he activated his guitar again. "Coil Man calling Big D. Come in, chief. Urgent. Repeat, urgent!"

"Big D here," the chief said, answering his communication device. "And if this urgent call is about what I think it's about, then I guess I don't need to inform you about the jailbreak."

"No, sir," Coiley said. "But we think they might have caught up to us."

"What makes you say that, Coil?"

"Fluey's gone. At first we didn't think it was foul play, because all of his things were gone, as well. You know, his guitar, his transformer, his clothes . . . . . the stuff he took on tour."

"We checked the entire room, Big D," Multi said. "Nothing was out of place, and there was no sign of a struggle. So it _is_ possible he left on his own, to try to avoid Coiley and me getting involved with Manikatti's men. But I don't think that's the case."

"So you think Fluid was abducted by Manikatti's men," Big D said.

"Skittles seems to think so, chief," Multi said. "You know she's got a sixth sense like that."

"True," Big D said. "But she could be reacting from worry. You know how attached she is to the three of you."

"We tried calling him, chief, but he never answered," Coiley said. "I had the transmitter on for five minutes."

"Very well put," Big D said. "I want you two, and your dog, to report back to headquarters immediately. Once you're here, we'll work on a plan of action."

"Roger, Big D," Coiley said, and he ended the transmission. "Come on, Multi! We've got to get back to HQ ASAP!"

Coiley and Multi grabbed their stuff and raced out to the Impossi-Mobile, with Skittles right behind them. Coiley converted to Impossi-Jet, and they took off straight for Megatropolis.

Meanwhile, Fluey was trying to come up with an idea to get loose. He noticed the nightstand by the bed he was laying on, and managed to pull himself up, and move toward the corner. He began rubbing the ropes binding his hands against the corner of the nightstand until they snapped off. The minute his hands were free, he pulled off his gag and immediately began untying his ankles.

"Whew!" he said, breathing in a sigh of relief. "I'd better get outta here now while I can. No way do I want to handle these guys by myself! I may be impulsive, but I'm not stupid!"

Fluey ran toward the nearby window. Unfortunately, just as he opened it, the door flew open, and there were the three gangsters.

"Hold it!" Nicky shouted, pulling out his gun.

"I'm outta here!" Fluey yelled, and he climbed out the window right out onto the fire escape. Nicky was about to fire, when Johnny grabbed his arm.

"Someone'll hear you!" he yelled.

"After that brat!" Nicky shouted, and he, Johnny, and Gino climbed out the window themselves.

Once Fluey reached the street, he looked up, and saw the gangsters climbing down. Immediately, he took off running as fast as he could, hoping it would be enough of a head start. While he was running, he noted his surroundings. It was obvious he was in some kind of big city, in a seedy part of town, much like where his biological mother had taken him when she paid him an unexpected visit. Graffiti splattered the walls, drug dealers were in the alleys, trying to avoid the cops, a couple of homeless people digging through dumpsters, a bag lady pushing a shopping cart and babbling incoherently, and quite a few streetwalkers. Fluey just kept on running, looking over his shoulder every couple of minutes. Sure enough, those three mobsters were after him.

"Oh boy," he groaned. "I gotta lose them!"

Fluey ducked into an alley as fast as he could, and pressed himself up against the wall, just as Nicky, Johnny, and Gino stopped, right in front of it.

"Dang!" Nicky shouted. "We lost him!"

"We'd better find that kid before he gets to the police station," Johnny said.

The three gangsters left just then, and Fluey heaved a second sigh of relief. But his relief was short lived. He stepped away from the wall, and glanced down the street, watching the three hoods leave when suddenly . . . . . .

KLONK!

Someone had whacked Fluey in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Dr. White, please report to pediatrics."

That was the next thing Fluey heard. He slowly opened his eyes, and was nearly blinded by a light. He looked around the strange room. He had an IV in his arm. He was feeling dizzy, and his head was killing him.

_Where am I? _he thought, a little nervously. _What happened? How did I get here?_

As he was looking around the room, a dark-haired woman wearing a nurse's uniform came into the room.

"Well," she said, smiling. "Glad to see you're awake. You've been unconscious for the past six hours."

"Six . . . . . six hours?" Fluey asked. "But . . . . but what happened? Where am I? Who are you? How did I get here?"

"Calm down, take it easy," the nurse said. "You're at St. Joseph's Hospital. You were found laying in an alley. Apparently, someone knocked you unconscious. You have yourself a nasty bump on the head back there. Now, when you were found, you didn't have any identification on you. My guess is whoever knocked you out stole your wallet or something like that. I need to know your name."

"My name?" Fluey repeated. "It's . . . . . it's . . . . . uhhhh . . . . . . uhhhh . . . . ."

Fluey thought it over. But his mind was a blank. He couldn't even remember his own name.

"I don't know," he said, finally. "I don't remember. I don't even remember what happened before I woke up! My mind's a complete blank!"

"Oh dear," the nurse said. "A classic case of amnesia if I ever saw one. This is going to be tough."

"Not so tough, really," a voice said from the doorway. Both Fluey and the nurse looked, and there was a tall man with dark hair wearing a pinstripe suit.

"Who are you?" the nurse asked.

"Nick Carlisle," the man said. "I'm the boy's uncle."

"You are?" Fluey asked.

"Yeah, you remember your Uncle Nicky, don'tcha?" Nick asked. Then he turned to the nurse. "His name's Anthony Andrews. His mother was my sister. She and her husband were killed when he was a little tyke, and I've been taking care of him ever since. I could just kick myself for this. I sent him to the grocery store by himself, and look what happened."

"Well, Mr. Carlisle," the nurse said. "I'm going to need you to fill out some paperwork. Luckily, your nephew's going to be fine, and he can leave in an hour."

"Fabulous," Nick said, and he began filling out the paperwork. Once the nurse left, Nick turned to Fluey.

"You don't remember anything, do you, kid?" he asked.

"Nothing," Fluey replied. "Nothing at all. It's like someone erased everything up there, you know?"

"Okay. You don't know who I really am, then?"

"I don't even know who _I_ am!"

"What does the name Tony Manikatti mean to you?"

"Tony Manikatti? Sounds like Italian food to me."

Nick smiled, sneakily. This was perfect.

"Listen, kid," he said. "The story I fed the nurse was mostly baloney. I couldn't tell her the truth, because there'd be trouble if I did. My name's Nicky Calamari. And I'm not your biological uncle. I'm an old pal of your grandad's. See, you were practically raised by me and my two pals and your grandad. His name was Antonio Manikatti. And your name is Anthony Manikatti, but most people call you Little Tony, 'cause they'd call your granddad Big Tony. See, your granddad was the head of the Syndicate. And you were just like him. Oh boy, where you ever like him!"

"Really?" Fluey asked.

"Yeah. Matter of fact, that's how you ended up here. You were taking care of some punk character when a buddy of his knocked ya out and prepared to fit you for cement shoes. So what do you say we pick up where we left off? The Manikatti name will live on."

Fluey thought this over. He was starting to become intrigued by this whole thing.

"Let's do it," he said.


	4. Temporary Teammate

An hour and a half later, Nicky and Fluey returned to the seedy hotel the three gangsters were hiding out in, for the time being. Fluey took one look around and made a face.

"You gotta be kidding me," he said. "We live in a dump like _this_?!"

"Only temporarily, Tony," Nicky said, unlocking the door to the room he had rented. Johnny and Gino were waiting for him.

"I see you got him," Johnny said.

"Of course I got him," Nicky said. Then he turned to Fluey. "Okay, Tone, you've had a rough day. What I want you to do is go take it easy for awhile. I gotta talk to Uncle Johnny and Uncle Gino."

"Eh?" Johnny asked, giving Nicky a weird look. Nicky glared at him to shut him up, and led Fluey to another room, connected to this one. Once he was in, Nicky closed the door, and went to his buddies.

"Boys, we've had a change of plans," he said. "We ain't gonna knock off the kid."

"We aren't?" Gino asked.

"Nope," Nicky said.

"Why not?" Johnny asked. "And what's with this Uncle Johnny and Uncle Gino bit, anyway, Nicky?"

"You know when we were coming back, and found the kid being loaded into the back of an ambulance?" Nicky said. "And I decided to follow just to see what was going on?"

"Yeah?" Gino replied.

"Well, get this," Nicky said. "Apparently, the kid was bopped in the head, and now he's got amnesia. He doesn't know who he is, and he doesn't know who we are!"

"But why ain't we gonna knock him off?" Gino asked.

"You guys want to restore the Syndicate, don't you?" Nicky asked. "You know nobody's gonna take the three of us seriously. We _need_ a Manikatti. And that brat's the last of the Manikatti's."

"Yeh," Johnny agreed. "Don Manikatti's dead, his wife is dead, and his only kid is dead. And even if she weren't dead, Maria wouldn't know how to run the Syndicate anyway. She was always a bit cuckoo."

"Right," Nicky said. "We'll teach him the tricks of the trade."

"But what happens if he gets his memory back?" Gino asked.

"He won't," Nicky said. "We'll soon have him convinced he's one of us. Now, from here on out, to him, we're his uncles. Got it?"

The other two nodded, and the three of them began laughing. The Syndicate would be back in no time at all.

Multi, Coiley, and Skittles, in the meantime, had finally arrived at the SSHQ building. They parked the Impossi-Jet, and went up to the chief's outer office. They were a little surprised to see FG there.

"FG, what are you doing here?" Coiley asked.

"I got called in by Big D," FG said. "He didn't tell me what this was about. He just called on my communication device, and told me to get to his office as fast as I could."

(FG's communicator, by the way, was hidden in a bracelet)

"Okay, kids, you can go in now," Big D's secretary, Phyllis, said. The three teenagers then walked into Big D's office.

"Coil and Multi already know why I've called them in," Big D said. "It has to do with the jailbreak of Manikatti's men. And I suppose you're wondering why I called you in as well, Fluid Girl."

"The thought _did_ cross my mind," FG said.

"Us too," Multi said. "What's FG doing here, chief?"

"She's going to fill in for Agent Fluid," Big D said. "Since you and Coil are now able to change identities on your own."

"How long is FG going to sub?" Coiley asked.

"As long as needed," Big D said. "After all, boys, you _did_ say you weren't sure Fluid was abducted. There's a chance that he was, and there's a chance that he wasn't. The possibility of him leaving on his own to avoid getting you two mixed up with Manikatti's hoods isn't very likely, but it's still a possibility."

"So what's the job, boss?" Multi asked.

"I want the three of you to pick up that tour you were on," Big D said, pulling a shopping bag out from under his desk and handing it to FG. Inside was a green turtleneck, a purple jacket, and black go-go boots like the boys' stage outfits, except Big D had given her a red skirt instead of pants, and the boots had a slightly higher heel than the boys' boots.

"You're not only joining the crime fighting team temporarily, Fluid Girl," Big D said, "but you're also joining the band."

"But I can't play a guitar!" FG shouted.

"No, but you could bang a tambourine," Coiley said, pulling a purple tambourine with pink cymbals out of the bag. "I mean, how hard is it to play a tambourine? And you can sing. We've all heard you and you're okay. It's about all we can do right now, FG."

"All right," FG said. "Let's roll."

"Before you roll," Big D said. "I'm not putting you on this case per say. I want you to see if you can find Fluid while you're on your concert tour, but if something should come up, keep in mind I _will_ call you in to handle it. I don't want the three of you taking on any of Manikatti's men by yourselves. You're not experienced enough to deal with the Syndicate."

"Right, chief," Multi said. "Considering what happened with Manikatti the _last_ time, I don't think I want to take my chances, anyway."

"Same for me," Coiley said.

"Uhh, just out of sheer curiosity," FG said. "What _did_ happen the last time? All I know was Manikatti was after one of my Uncle David's formulas, and he thought Franky had it."

"Should we tell her, chief? Coiley asked.

"You can fill her in on what happened," Big D said. "Just not the _entire_ story, if you know what I mean."

FG didn't have any idea what that meant, but the boys did, and they agreed.

"It's nothing personal, FG," Coiley said. "But it's for the best we only tell you part of what went on last time we dealt with Manikatti. Security issues, and that's all we can say."

"Okay, I guess," FG said, shrugging. "Come on. You guys fill me in on the details about the last time you had to mess with Manikatti and how it might be linked to this time, especially since he's dead as a doornail."

The trio (well, quartet, including Skittles), left Big D's office and went out to the Impossi-Mobile. They had to stop by FG's house first, so she could pick up a few things for the tour.

Elsewhere, the three gangsters were preparing Fluey for his introduction into the world of organized crime. He was wearing the stereotypical gangster outfit, and looking himself over in the mirror. He kept tilting the fedora Nicky had given him, trying to figure out what angle it looked best.

"You look great, kid," Nicky said. "A regular pepperoni off the ol' pizza."

"You think?" Fluey asked.

"Kid, you were _born_ to lead this life," Nicky said. "Come on, we've got a meeting."

Nicky led Fluey out to the other room where Johnny and Gino were waiting for them.

"Hey look, Gino," Johnny laughed. "It's Mini-Manikatti."

Fluey made a face as Johnny and Gino laughed hysterically. He began backing into the other room, a little nervously, but Nicky grabbed his arm.

"Whoa, hold it, hold it," he said. "Look at this, they're laughing at you. You gonna let 'em get away with that?"

"Well . . . ." Fluey started.

"Eh-eh," Nicky said. "Your granddad didn't take no lip from nobody. Nobody laughed at the don and got away with it. Listen, Tony. You gotta show 'em who's boss. You're the boss. Let them know it."

"What do I do first?"

"Go punch a couple of lights out."

Fluey shrugged and walked over to Johnny and Gino, who were still cracking up over the "Mini-Manikatti" line. Without saying a word, Fluey socked Johnny in the jaw as hard as he possibly could. Johnny ended up falling over an end table, and crashing to the floor (amnesia or not, Fluey could still throw that killer left hook of his).

"Ooooh, that hurt," he groaned.

"You find something funny, Portobello?" Fluey asked, holding his fist right in Gino's face.

"No, no, not at all, not at all," Gino said, nervously.

"Good," Fluey said. "Yo, Malone! Get your carcass up off the floor and hustle! We've got stuff to do. Move it, move it, move it!"

"Yes sir, Mr. Manikatti, sir!" Gino shouted, almost saluting.

"Wait a minute, Gino," Johnny said. "Just what makes you think I'm gonna take orders from a kid?"

Fluey glared at Johnny and slapped him rapidly (_whack-whack-whack-whack-whack!_)

"'Cause I'm your former leader's grandkid, _that's_ why!" Fluey shouted. "And unless you want a belly fulla lead, then you'd better learn who's boss around here!"

"Got it, boss," Johnny said. Then he gave Nicky a dirty look.

"Thanks a heap, Nick," he grumbled, sarcastically.

"He's only doing what Don Manikatti would do," Nicky said with a shrug.

"Hey, Calamari!" Fluey shouted. "Zip the lip and get over here! I ain't got all day!"

"Oh yeah," Nicky said, smiling. "This kid's gonna fit in with us just fine."


	5. Don Fluid

The next afternoon, Coiley, Multi, Skittles, and FG were cruising the streets, on their way to their next gig. They had announced FG would be substituting for "Franky" (the boys often used their real names while on tour) until further notice the night before, but they didn't say why. Several teenage girls were in an uproar because they now had only two boys to drool over, instead of three. Other teenage girls were excited at the prospect of a female member of the band, even if she _was_ only temporary. The guys in the audience immediately began drooling over FG. With the exception of those few teenage girls, the new line up looked like it would be a hit. But that didn't make the trio feel any better about the circumstances.

"I'm glad you're able to pinch hit for us, FG," Coiley said.

"In more ways than one, I'll bet," Multi said, slyly. He knew Coiley had a huge crush on FG.

"It's no problem, Coiley," FG said. "I've always wanted to be part of the team. But Big D never thinks of sending me out with you guys. Usually, I'd just fill in for the three of you when you couldn't transform by yourselves. But I don't think we should dwell in that now."

"Right," Coiley said. "We've got more important things to do. We have to track down Fluey."

"I _really_ hope he's all right," FG said. "I can't be_lieve_ he's Big Tony Manikatti's grandson!"

"Neither could we, when we found out," Coiley said. "That's why we think Manikatti's goons might have kidnapped Fluey. They might be holding him responsible for the accident that killed Manikatti."

"That's a possibility," Multi said. "But there was no proof he _was_ kidnapped. I mean, why would they take Fluey's stuff along with them? Especially his wrist communicator."

"Maybe to throw you off," FG said.

"That's an idea," Coiley said. "I never thought of that."

Suddenly, Skittles began barking, and she did her pointer thing (_POING!_)

"Look!" FG shouted, pointing in the direction Skittles was pointing.

"A brand new black Cadillac," Coiley said. "Sitting right outside the bank."

"And aren't members of the Syndicate known for new, black Caddies?" Multi asked. Coiley and FG nodded, and quickly, they changed into their super identities. Once they were converted, Coiley turned on the TV screen in the Impossi-Mobile.

"Impossibles calling Big D," he said. "Reporting suspected Syndicate sighting. There's a black Caddy sitting outside the Last National Bank."

"I'll send back up," Big D said. "Check it out, and be extremely cautious."

"Check, chief," Coiley said, and he ended the transmission.

"Rally ho! And away we go!" the trio shouted.

Inside the bank, Nicky, Johnny, and Gino were standing there, holding machine guns. Fluey was with them, looking things over. He lowered the sunglasses he was wearing slightly, and then pushed them back in place.

"Okay," he said to the terrified tellers. "This is what we're gonna do here. You guys are gonna give us all the money you've got in here."

"And what if we don't?" the bank president asked.

"Show 'em, Johnny," Fluey said.

Johnny then aimed his gun at the ceiling and began firing rapidly, shooting out some of the lights. Everyone inside the bank started panicking.

"Don't just stand there!" the bank president shouted. "Start giving them the money!"

And with that, the tellers began putting all the money they could into bags while Nicky, Johnny, and Gino collected them.

"Come on, come on, speed it up," Fluey said. "We don't have all day!"

Suddenly the door was flung open, as a streak of lightning hit it, and then zoomed into the bank, screeching to a halt. Everyone turned to look, and there were the Impossibles standing there.

"It's them, all right," Coiley said, recognizing Nicky from the gang's first encounter with Manikatti's hoods. Due to the dark glasses Fluey was wearing, our heroes didn't recognize him.

"What in the world is _this_?!" Nicky shouted.

"Rally ho!" Multi shouted, duplicating himself and surrounding the hoods. "Give up, you thieves! I've got you surrounded!"

"Oh yeah?" Fluey said. "Take this!"

Fluey grabbed Gino's machine gun, and began firing rapidly at Multi's duplicates.

"Heh, heh," Fluey laughed, smugly. "That takes care of that."

"Sorry," Multi said. "You got 'em all except the original!"

"Why you . . . . ." Fluey said, raising the gun. "I oughta make Swiss cheese outta you!"

"Look out, Multi!" Coiley shouted, and he sprang forward, his fist outstretched. "Rally ho!"

Coiley's fist connected directly with Fluey's face. POW! Fluey stumbled backwards, and was knocked off his feet.

"Oooh!" he groaned. "Okay, that does it! Get 'em, guys!"

"Time for a wipe out!" FG shouted, as she converted to liquid. "Rally ho!"

FG turned herself into a miniature tidal wave, and hit Nicky, Gino, and Johnny, as they ran toward her, wiping the three of them out.

"Brother, are you guys idiots!" Fluey groaned. He picked up the machine gun again. "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

Just then, a streak of lightning slammed into his stomach, and knocked him off his feet, and his sunglasses flew off his face. He skidded across the floor, and saw a puppy in a super suit sitting on his stomach, wagging her tail. She began licking his face, barking happily.

"Oh yuck!" Fluey shouted. "Geez! Get this mutt off of me!"

"Holy hi fi's!" Coiley shouted. "Fluey! Boy, are we glad to see you!"

"Eh?" Fluey asked, giving Coiley a weird look, all the while trying to get Impossi-Pup off of him. "_What_ did you just call me?!"

"Huh?" Coiley asked, a little confused.

"Hey, Fluey, what's the matter?" Multi asked.

"I don't know what you morons are talking about," Fluey said, glaring at the redheaded Impossible. "Call this fleabag off before I fill her full of lead!"

"Okay, Skittles, here, girl!" Multi called. Impossi-Pup then ran to him, wondering what in the world was up with Fluey. Multi, Coiley, and FG were wondering the same thing.

"Something's not right here," Multi said. "Come on, Fluey, stop playing around."

"Who's playing around?" Fluey asked, picking up the machine gun, and aiming it right at Multi. "And quit calling me Fluey! My name's Tony!"

"_Tony_?!" Coiley and Multi screamed in perfect unison.

"But . . . . but you _hate_ being called Tony!" Coiley shouted. "You said anyone who calls you that has a death wish."

"Yeah?" Fluey asked, turning his aim from Multi to Coiley. "Well, you sure sound like you gotta death wish, Fatso!"

"Whoa boy . . . ." Coiley said, nervously.

Just then, a group of SSHQ agents burst into the bank.

"Freeze!" one shouted, holding up a gun. "You're all under arrest!"

"The cops!" Gino shouted.

"Let's scram!" Fluey said. "Grab what you can and let's bolt!"

Nicky, Gino, and Johnny gathered up some of the bags of money, and raced out. Some of the SSHQ agents chased after them, firing. Fluey stopped, turned, and fired his machine gun. It was obvious he didn't know how to use that thing, because bullets were erratically flying everywhere.

"Duck and cover!" FG shouted, converted into liquid and shooting into the bank's sprinkler system.

Coiley, Multi, and Impossi-Pup quickly ducked behind a desk, while other customers began diving to the floor. The tellers ducked down behind the windows. The SSHQ agents also ducked behind whatever they could. The scene didn't end until one of the SSHQ agents was hit in the shoulder with one of those flying bullets.

"AAGGGHH!" he screamed. "They got me!"

"Let's get outta here!" Fluey shouted, tossing the machine gun aside, and practically diving into the Caddy with the three mobsters. They took off like a shot down the street. Multi and Coiley tried to go after them, but it was too late.

"Well, we'll never catch them now," Coiley said.

"What was that all about, anyway?" Multi asked.

"I don't know. It was really weird. He acted like he didn't even know us! You think maybe they could have brainwashed him?"

"I don' know, Coiley."

The two Impossibles went back to the bank to assess the situation. One of the agents was using a walkie-talkie to dispatch an ambulance for the agent that had been shot.

"How is he?" Coiley asked.

"We won't know how much damage until we get him to the hospital," another agent said. "Gunshot wounds to the shoulder can be pretty tricky. Incidentally, the twerp that was firing the machine gun . . . . looked a lot like Agent Fluid."

"Yeah, we know," Multi said.

"What'd he do?" the agent asked. "Turn Benedict Arnold on us? Why's he running around with Manikatti's hoods, acting like a gangster?"

"We don't know," Coiley shrugged.

"Big D won't like it," the agent said.

"_That's_ for sure," Multi replied.

And with that, Coiley, Multi, FG, and Impossi-Pup left the bank and went to the Impossi-Mobile to call in. They figured another agent had already informed the chief what had happened. And Multi was right. Big D was _not_ happy.

"I already got a call from Agent Graham," Big D said. "What I want to know is why Fluid is pulling a Benedict Arnold on us."

"We don't know, chief," Coiley said. "He might have been brainwashed. He acted like he didn't even know us."

"Or he could be pretending to be on their side," Multi said. "To try to get the goods on them. He might have had to pretend he didn't know us so he wouldn't give himself away."

"That's a possibility," FG said. "He could have convinced the hoods he was on their side so they wouldn't kill him."

"I don't think that's a possibility," Big D said. "Even if he _was_ pretending to be on their side, he wouldn't have fired that machine gun and risk harming innocent bystanders. I want you three to look into this, but be _extreme_ly careful."

"Right, chief!" the trio shouted, saluting. Impossi-Pup barked, and saluted herself. Then they turned into the Impossi-Jet, and flew off.

Meanwhile, back at the seedy hotel, Gino and Johnny were counting up the loot. Nicky was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on a table, and smoking a cigar. Fluey was pacing back and forth, looking mad as a hornet.

"All in all, we got about fifty grand," Johnny said. "Not bad for a beginner."

"Shut up, Malone!" Fluey shouted. "It's not good enough."

"What's your problem, anyway, kid?" Nicky asked. "Fifty grand ain't nothin' to sneeze at."

"It's chicken feed," Fluey said. "Tell me this, Calamari. How big a gangster was Big Tony?"

"Public enemy number one," Nicky said.

"And would he settle for a mere fifty grand?"

"Well, no, but . . . . ."

"My point exactly. If Big Tony wouldn't settle for fifty grand, what makes you idiots think _I'm_ gonna settle for that?!"

"Keep in mind, kid, you're just a beginner."

"So what?! I'm a Manikatti, and I'm not gonna stand for this!"

"Looks like Little Tony's got some big ideas," Johnny said with a smirk. Fluey walked over to him, and whapped him upside the head as hard as he could.

"Watch who you're callin' little, Malone!" Fluey shouted. "I'm callin' the shots here! I'm the brains of this outfit! I'm the boss! And don't you lunkheads forget it, either! Now come on!"

"Where are we going?" Gino asked.

"We are gonna show this town that Tony Manikatti runs the show," Fluey said. "By the time we're through, we'll rule the entire world of organized crime!"

And with that statement, Fluey began laughing maniacally, just like any evil villain bent on domination.


	6. Kidnap or Rescue?

The next morning, the members of the Syndicate were out driving in that black Cadillac of theirs. Fluey was filing his nails, and Nicky and Gino were just watching him (Johnny was driving).

"So what's the first thing we do, boss?" Johnny asked.

"You spread the word that the Syndicate was making a come back like I told you to, right?" Fluey said, not looking up.

"Yeah, we did," Gino said. "We told them we were having a meeting."

"Okay, good," Fluey said. "How many people we got coming?"

"Let's see," Nicky said, pulling out his list. "Judging by who just busted out . . . . we got Guido and Joey, the Fish, the Big Goombah, Fat Freddy, Lucky Louie, Chubbs, and Kid Katchatore."

"Good, good," Fluey said. "That oughta be enough. And these guys'll do what I tell 'em, and they won't give me no lip?"

"Hey, you're Don Manikatti's grandkid," Nicky said. "Anybody gives you any lip is just plain askin' for it! They don't mess with a Manikatti or question a Manikatti's orders."

"Good," Fluey said. "And these guys are the best in the biz, too?"

"Yep," Gino said. "These are the top ginks in the Syndicate. Always loyal to your granddad, and they'll be loyal to you, as well."

"They'd better be," Fluey replied.

Moments later, the foursome arrived at an old warehouse, where a bunch of other gangsters were waiting.

"What's this about, Nick?" one known as Chubbs (and he was quite fat) asked.

"Men, we're starting up the Syndicate again," Nicky said.

"Get outta heah!" Guido (who had a very thick Jersey accent) shouted. "How ya gonna start up da Syndicate again? Aftah how you an' Malone an' Portobello loused up your _last_ assignment from da Don?"

"Yeah, tell us about it!" an extremely fat gangster (fatter than Chubbs) aptly named Fat Freddy shouted. "The three of you were the best of the best in the Don's eyes, and yet, you couldn't nab one stupid teenage kid!"

"Yeh, de only way da tree of youse is gonna staht up de Syndicate again is if youse get a Manikatti," Guido said.

"And the Manikatti family is pretty much dead," Joey said.

"Not so," Nicky said. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you, Big Tony's grandson, Little Tony."

"Get outta heah!" Guido shouted. "How'd you manage ta do _dat_?!"

"Long story," Johnny said.

"Wait a sec," Kid Katchatore said. "Ain't he that Mc . . . . ."

"Sssshhhh!" Gino shouted, covering Kid's mouth his his hand.

"The kid's got amnesia," Johnny whispered. "And we _don't_ want him to regain his memory!"

"Are you mugs done flappin' your gums already?" Fluey asked, sounding impatient. "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Yeah, he's definitely related to Big Tony," the Big Goombah replied.

"All right, boys, listen up," Fluey said. "I want you to clean out the city. Money, jewels, valuables, the works. Whatever you can get your mitts on."

"Just like old times, eh, fellas?" the Fish asked. The others agreed.

"Okay, you mugs," Fluey said. "Let's move. We've got a lot to do."

And with that, the entire gang left the warehouse.

Three days went by. The Impossi-Jet was cruising through the skies, trying to locate Fluey.

"This is a fine how do you do," FG said.

"It's been three days since we encountered him at the bank," Multi said. "He could be anywhere by now."

"We've got to find him," Coiley said. "And we've got to figure out why he's acting so weird."

Suddenly, something onboard the Impossi-Jet began beeping. Coiley pushed a few buttons and activated the TV screen.

"The Impossibles reporting for duty, chief," he said.

"I'm afraid I've got bad news for you three," Big D said.

"No good news?" FG asked.

"I'm afraid not," Big D said. "We received word that eight members of the Syndicate escaped from prison three days ago, and there also may be some recruitment of new Syndicate members."

"Oh brother, that's _just_ what we need right now," Coiley said, sarcastically.

"What could be worse?" Multi sighed. Suddenly, a bank alarm began ringing nearby.

"Me and my big mouth," Multi groaned.

"Rally ho!" the trio shouted as Coiley took the Impossi-Jet down. They reached the bank just as Joey and Guido were running out of it.

"Hold it right there!" Multi shouted. "You're under arrest!"

"Says who, mop top?" Joey asked.

"Says us!" Multi shouted, duplicating himself so he was surrounding the two hoods.

"I hoid about dese jokers, Joey," Guido said. "Dey woik for da Secret Security Headquarters."

"Don't they all," Joey groaned.

"You guys give up?" Multi asked. "It'll go a lot easier on you if you do."

"Eat lead, sheep dog face!" Joey yelled, firing his pistol at Multi's duplicates. The original Multi had ducked into an alley the minute he saw the gun.

"That takes care of that," Joey said. "Let's bolt!"

The two hoods jumped into their car and took off. FG and the boys were about to go after them when another alarm began ringing, this time from a nearby jewelry store. Lucky Louie, the Fish, and the Big Goombah were running out of it with their ill-gotten gains.

"Stop, thieves!" Coiley shouted, springing forward. "Rally ho!"

"Looks like one of them Impossible freaks of nature I heard about on the news," Lucky Louie said.

"I'll get him," the Big Goombah said, holding up a machine gun. "This looks like a job for Ol' Betsy."

The Big Goombah began firing his machine gun rapidly. Coiley retreated immediately. After all, who was going to take chances when the opponent is firing a machine gun non stop? Before Coiley could go in for another shot at them, _another_ alarm began ringing.

"This is getting ridiculous!" FG shouted, but she converted and followed the source. Kid Katchatore, Chubbs, and Fat Freddy were coming out of a store with stolen cash.

"Hold it right there, boys!" she shouted.

"A dame?" Kid asked. "You gotta be kidding me! The SSHQ don't hire no dames as agents!"

"They do now, tall, dark, and gruesome," FG said, converting into a small tidal wave. "Rally ho!"

FG managed to knock the three gangsters off their feet.

"You give up?" she asked.

"Not a chance, Tootsie-Wootsie," Kid said, and he began firing his gun. FG converted and ducked out of the way to avoid getting hit by the bullets. Coiley heard the commotion and looked over. Then he glared at the gangsters and began springing over.

"Hey, you mobster masher!" he shouted, stretching one arm forward and grabbing the gun out of Kid's hand.

"That's no way to treat a lady!" he shouted, punching Kid in the nose with his other hand as hard as he could.

"Nice to see that chivalry ain't dead," Fat Freddy said. "But this joker's gonna be in a minute!"

"Look out, Coiley!" FG shouted, as Fat Freddy took a lead pipe out of his jacket. Quickly, Coiley sprang upward, and Multi came onto the scene, surrounding the trio of mobsters.

"Okay, enough is enough!" he shouted. "Come along quietly!"

Another gun shot rang out from seemingly out of nowhere, nearly missing the original Multi by a fraction of an inch.

"Okay, Freak Boy," Fluey said, coming over, holding a smoldering pistol in his hand. "Retract your little one man army."

"Fluey, have you flipped your lid?!" FG shouted. "What's the matter with you?!"

"Shut it, toots," Fluey said, pointing the gun at FG. "Unless you want me to blow off your pretty little face!"

"I don't think he's kidding, FG," Coiley said.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do," Fluey said, aiming the pistol at Coiley, Multi, and FG. "You three are gonna stay right where you are, and give us a ten minute head start. Come on, boys. Let's scram."

The gangsters ran off. Fluey followed after a few seconds. Coiley, Multi, and FG just stood there completely flabbergasted. They were so shocked at seeing Fluey act like this, they couldn't even _think_ about fighting him.

"We've got to do something," Multi said. "I think you were right, Coiley. I think he _has_ been brainwashed."

"What do you mean brain_washed_?" FG asked. "They put his brain through the spin cycle!"

"We've got to come up with a way to reverse this brainwashing," Coiley said.

"Dr. Phelps might be able to come up with something," FG suggested. "But we'd have to get him to the SSHQ facility first. And _that's _going to be easier said than done."

"Then we'll just have to be sneaky," Multi said.

"What's the plan, Multi?" Coiley asked.

"I don't know yet," Multi said. "Give me some time to think."

Coiley and FG nodded, and they followed Multi to the Impossi-Jet. Then they took off. After all, they had a gig that evening. It wasn't until after their gig when Multi came up with his idea.

"I've got it!" he shouted.

"What?" Coiley asked.

"Remember I said we had to be sneaky with trying to get Fluey back to HQ so Dr. Phelps could look at him?"

"Yeah?" FG asked.

"Here's what we'll do," Multi said, and he huddled with Coiley, FG, and Skittles, and whispered his plan to them.

Late that night, Fluey was sitting at the warehouse he, Nicky, Johnny, and Gino were hanging out in. They had divided the loot with the others, who took their cut and left.

"Not bad for a day's work," Fluey commented, propping his feet up on the table. "Man, I'm wiped out. Not to mention starving. You guys order a pizza."

"At this time of night?" Gino asked, glancing at his watch. "It's almost midnight! No place is gonna deliver at midnight!"

"I'm sure there's a pizza joint open somewhere in this city," Fluey said, shrugging.

"Come on, kid," Nicky groaned. "We're about as wiped out as the next guy. Can't you wait until breakfast?"

"No," Fluey said.

"Hold it a sec," Johnny said. "You may be the Don's grandkid, and you may be able to get away with telling us what to do when we go to pull jobs, but we ain't no pizza delivery service! What gives you the authority to send us out for pizza?"

Fluey didn't say anything. He just took out his pistol, aimed at a nearby lamp, and fired. The lamp practically exploded.

"What do you want on that pizza?" Johnny asked, slightly nervous.

"Everything," Fluey commented, twirling the gun around. "And hold the anchovies."

The three hoods left just then, grumbling a bit over this. But, unless they wanted to get pumped full of lead, they had to do what their "boss" said.

Five minutes after the three gangsters left, Fluey got up, and began counting some of the money from the day's "business." As he was counting, he heard a car pull up from out back.

"That was quick," he said, dropping the loot, and heading for the back door of the warehouse. He opened the door, and stepped outside.

"I like fellas who get the job done," he said. "That thing better not have anchovies on it, or else I'm gonna . . . . ."

"GOTCHA!" two slightly familiar voices shouted, and Fluey suddenly found himself being grabbed, and a hand clamped over his mouth. It happened to be Multi and Coiley. They, along with Skittles and FG, had arrived at the warehouse shortly after the hoods left.

"Good thing FG spotted that Caddy," Coiley said, trying to keep his hold on his struggling teammate.

"Yeah, they were pulling out just as we were passing over this warehouse," Multi said, increasing his grip slightly. It had been him who covered Fluey's mouth. They didn't want him attracting attention, just in case the other members of the Syndicate were nearby.

"Come on, let's get out of here before those gangsters come back," Coiley said as he and Multi started dragging Fluey to the Impossi-Jet. Fluey, however, wasn't going to take this at all. He managed to give Multi a good, swift kick where he knew it would hurt the most.

"_Gaaahhhkkk!_" Multi yelled, immediately letting go. Coiley ended up letting go as well, and found himself getting punched right in the nose by Fluey. Then, Fluey grabbed Multi in a headlock, pulled out his gun, and held it right against the side of Multi's head.

"Freeze you two!" he shouted to Coiley and FG. "Any false moves, and I'll blow his brains out!"

"Hey, Fluey, what's gotten into you?!" Coiley shouted.

"Would you quit callin' me that already, Fatso?!" Fluey shouted. "The name's Tony Manikatti, and don't you forget it!"

"That's it," FG sighed. "He's totally lost it."

"I hate to do this to you, Fluey, but you leave me no choice," Multi said, and he jabbed Fluey in the stomach with his elbow, and stomped on his foot as hard as he possibly could.

"Yeouch!" Fluey shouted, letting go of Multi. He recovered quickly and held his gun right at the redheaded Impossible.

"All right, shag, I'm through playing around," he said. "This time you're gonna . . . . ."

"Skittles!" Multi called, suddenly. "Do your stuff!"

Skittles barked happily, revved up, and blasted right into Fluey's chest as hard as she possibly could, knocking him off his feet. Fluey was so startled at the unexpected attack, he let go of his gun, and it flew into the air.

"Everybody look out!" Coiley shouted, as he, Multi, FG, and Skittles took refuge behind the Impossi-Jet. They didn't want to take a chance that the gun wouldn't go off once it hit the ground.

"Fluey, duck!" Coiley shouted.

"I told you to stop calling me . . . ." Fluey started, but he never got to finish his sentence. His gun came down just then, bopping him on the head.

_KLONK!_

"Aaahhh!" Fluey yelled, right before he lost consciousness, and collapsed. Thankfully, the gun didn't fire when it hit the ground.

"Come on!" Multi shouted. "Now's our chance!"

Multi and Coiley ran over to their immobile for the moment teammate, and slapped a pair of handcuffs on him, positioning his hands behind his back. Then, the two Impossibles lifted him off the ground carefully, and carried him to the Impossi-Jet.

"Let's head back to HQ," Coiley said. "Before he comes to, and before those three gangsters get back!"

Multi, FG, and Skittles nodded in agreement, and took off.


	7. Double Cross

"Oooohhhhhh . . . . . ." Fluey moaned, as he slowly came to his senses. He had a splitting headache.

"What hit me?" he asked. He tried to raise his arm in order to massage the spot on his head that was throbbing, but he couldn't. He noticed he had been strapped to what looked like one of the examining tables in the SSHQ infirmary.

"Huh?" he asked. "What's going on here? Where am I?"

The door opened just then, and in walked Multi and Coiley, followed by Dr. Phelps. Fluey heaved a sigh of relief.

"Wow, fellas, am I ever glad to see you!" he shouted.

"You are?" Coiley asked a little confused.

"You bet!" Fluey shouted.

"I thought you said he was acting like he didn't know who you were," Dr. Phelps said.

"Well . . . . he was . . . . ." Multi said. "At least he was when we brought him in."

"What do you mean I was acting like I didn't know who you were?" Fluey asked. "What's going on, anyway? And why have you got me strapped down like this? And why am I wearing this gangster outfit?"

"Don't you remember, Fluey?" Coiley asked. "We were at the warehouse, and you were about ready to shoot me and Multi and FG when Skittles ran into you."

"And you were leading the Syndicate on a crime spree," Multi went on.

"What?!" Fluey shouted. "_Me_?! Leading the Syndicate?! Are you guys crazy? Why would I do a stupid thing like that for?!"

"Believe me, we'd like to know that one ourselves," Coiley said. "Anyway, we strapped you down like that just in case you came to, and tried to make a break for it."

"I don't understand any of this," Fluey groaned.

"Fluey . . . ." Dr. Phelps said, coming over. "Tell me something. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, let's see . . . ." Fluey said, thinking it over. "The last thing I remember is escaping from the hotel room Manikatti's goons were holding me in. Then I ducked into an alley to shake them when they started chasing me . . . . . then somebody bopped me on the head, and everything's a blank after that."

"That's kind of weird," Multi said. "How is it he doesn't remember what happened in the past three days? And how come he acted like he didn't even know us in those past three days, and now he knows us? It doesn't make sense."

"It does to me," Dr. Phelps said. "Fluey, you said you were hit on the head when you ducked into the alley, right?"

"Right," Fluey said, nodding.

"And you two said you managed to bring him in here when the gun he had hit him in his head, and knocked him out, right?"

"Yeah," Coiley said.

"Then it's simple," Dr. Phelps said. "Fluey was suffering a classic case of amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Multi repeated. "No wonder he didn't know who we were!"

"You probably lost your memory when you were hit on the head in the alley," Dr. Phelps explained to Fluey, as he started unstrapping him. "And your memory was probably jogged after you were hit in the head with that gun."

"And Manikatti's men probably got to you before we could the first time you were knocked out," Coiley said. "And convinced you that you were a gangster."

"That explains the outfit," Fluey said, looking at his clothes. "How out of control did I get, anyway?"

"You were about two crimes away from being public enemy number one," Multi said.

"Sheesh!" Fluey groaned.

At that moment, Big D walked into the infirmary.

"I trust everything is in order here?" he asked, a little suspiciously.

"Yeah, chief," Coiley said. "We found out Fluey had amnesia, but he seems to be back to normal now."

"I can only hope," Big D said, walking into the room.

"Am I in trouble, chief?" Fluey asked. "I mean . . . . Multi and Coiley told me what was going on, but, seriously, I didn't know what I was doing! I mean, you . . . . . you wouldn't suspend me on the grounds that I didn't know what I was . . . . ."

"Fluid, calm yourself down," Big D said. "At first, I _was_ going to put you on suspension for this, but now that I'm aware you had amnesia, I'm not going to."

"Whew!" Fluey shouted. "_That's_ a relief!"

"But we still have a problem," Big D said. "The Syndicate is still loose."

"And they'll probably be looking for Fluey when they find out he's gone," Coiley said.

"Hold it a sec," Fluey said. "I think I just got an idea. But it's kind of risky."

"What's this idea?" Big D asked.

"Maybe I could go back to where you guys found me," Fluey said. "Be the mob boss for a little while. They didn't see you guys, right?"

"We hope they didn't," Multi said.

"Then they don't know I got my memory back," Fluey said. "It could work to our advantage."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Big D said. "They could find out."

"You want to get these guys back in jail, don't you, chief?" Fluey asked. "Besides, I've got to go back, anyway. They've got my guitar and my transformer."

"What about your wrist communicator?" Coiley asked.

"They recognized it and smashed it," Fluey said.

"I just think it's too risky, that's all," Big D said.

"You got any better ideas, chief?" Fluey asked.

"No," Big D said, even though he hated to admit it. Then he sighed. "All right, then. We'll try your idea. Go to the lab and get a replacement wrist communicator from Dr. Johnson. And for heaven's sake, _be careful_!"

"We will," Fluey said. "Thanks, boss!"

And with that, the three Impossibles went to the lab to get a replacement communicator. Once they left, Big D shook his head, and started back toward his office.

"I swear, I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy," he sighed.

Once Fluey got his wrist communicator, the Impossibles went out to the Impossi-Jet, and flew to the warehouse. They filled Fluey in on what was going on.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Fluey," Coiley said.

"Trust me," Fluey replied with a wink. "Listen, I'll set them up, and then I'll call you guys."

"Okay," Coiley said.

"Good luck, and be careful, Fluey," Multi said.

And with that, Fluey got out of the Impossi-Jet, and the other two took off. Fluey then walked into the warehouse, and was met by three very perturbed gangsters.

"All right, where have you been?" Nicky asked.

"Just out and around," Fluey replied.

"You send us out to get a pizza, and then you leave, and don't come back for six hours," Johnny said. "Your grandfather was never like that."

"Yeah, well, I'm not my grandfather," Fluey said.

"I hope you managed to grab a bite while you were gone," Gino said. "We got hungry and ate the pizza while we were waiting for you. For a minute, I thought those weirdo Impossible freaks got you."

"Yeah, well . . . . ." Fluey shrugged, stifling the urge to knock out Gino's teeth for calling his friends freaks. "Forget them, and forget the pizza. We got bigger fish to fry."

"Like?" Nicky asked.

"Like our next job," Fluey said. "I've got something big in mind."

"Yeah?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah," Fluey said. "The Megatropolis Museum of Natural History."

"Ain't that the place that's got all the dinosaur skeletons?" Johnny asked. "And the stuffed mammals, and all those gems?"

"Exactly," Fluey said.

"Oh I get it," Gino said. "You want we should break into the museum and steal them dino bones."

"No, you bird brain!" Fluey shouted, swatting Gino upside the head. "The _gem_ collection! On display in the gem exhibit is the Hopeless Diamond! The biggest diamond in the world! Worth at least five hundred grand."

"That's a lotta dough," Johnny said.

"Yeah, and the rest of the collection is worth twice as much," Fluey said.

"You want we should call the boys, boss?" Gino asked.

"Absolutely," Fluey said. "Call 'em up and let them know tonight at midnight, we're bustin' into the museum and making off with the entire gem collection."

"I'm impressed, kid," Nicky said. "Not even your granddaddy would come up with a scheme like that."

"Like I told you mugs before," Fluey said, propping his feet up on the table. "I'm not my grandfather. Now go call the guys."

"Right, boss," Johnny said, and he, Nicky, and Gino left the room.

Fluey smiled. His plan was working perfectly. Once he was sure the hoods were out of earshot, he activated his wrist communicator.

"Come in, Coiley," he said, quietly, just in case the three hoods were around.

"Did they fall for your story, Fluey?" Coiley asked, once he appeared on the screen.

"Hook, line, and sinker," Fluey said. "They're in the other room calling up the rest of the Syndicate."

"Just what exactly are we supposed to do?"

"I told them the plan was at midnight, we were gonna steal the entire gem collection from the Megatropolis Museum of Natural History. All you, Multi, and Skittles have to do is be there. Once I find my transformer, I'll be able to get in on the action."

"Okay. But watch your back."

"Don't worry, I will. Over and out."

Fluey ended the transmission, and started looking for his transformer. He had no idea where these hoods could be hiding it.

"That thing's gotta be around here somewhere," he said. "Unless they left it at that hotel, but I don't think they would, considering someone might find it."

"Looking for something, Tone?" a voice said, suddenly.

"Huh?!" Fluey shouted, whirling around, completely startled.

"What's the matter, Tony?" Nicky asked. "Did I scare you?"

"No, of course not," Fluey said.

"You seem a little nervous today."

"Yeah, well . . . . . don't worry about it."

"What are you looking for, anyway?"

"Nothing. Now shut up and go do something. I'm busy."

"Whatever you say . . . . . boss."

Nicky left the room. Fluey breathed a sigh of relief. That was _too_ close. However, his relief was slightly short lived. Nicky was watching him through a crack in the door.

"What's he doing, Nick?" Johnny asked.

"He's looking for something," Nicky said. "I don't know what he's looking for, but he's definitely looking for something."

"Think he's looking for that weird box doo-dad thing?" Gino asked.

"He might," Nicky said.

"What could he be looking for _that_ thing for?" Johnny asked. "He can't possibly remember what it is, can he?"

Nicky didn't answer. Gino and Johnny left to go "do something" (under Nicky's orders), while Nicky stayed behind and kept watching Fluey like a hawk. Something was different about the Don's grandson. He had a suspicion he knew what was going on, but he wanted to make sure.

Throughout the day, Fluey continued looking for his transformer, but only when Manikatti's hoods weren't around. Or at least when he _thought_ his hoods weren't around. Nicky wasn't taking his eyes off this kid for one minute.

"I'd better find that thing soon," Fluey said, checking his watch. It was eleven thirty. "Only half an hour left before we hit the museum. Better call the guys."

Fluey then activated his wrist communicator, and Multi appeared on the screen.

"What's up, Fluey?" he asked.

"There might be a slight snag in the plan," Fluey said. "I can't find my transformer."

"You'd better find it soon, or else there goes the plan."

"Not necessarily. I just won't have access to my powers. Besides, they won't even suspect I'm gonna fight them. They still think I'm on their side."

"Okay. We'll see you at the museum. Over and out."

Fluey turned off his communicator, and continued searching for his transformer.

"That thing's gotta be around here somewhere," he said. Then, he spotted a crate in the corner of the room. He walked over to it, opened it, and found both his guitar, and his transformer.

"Eureka!" he shouted. He was just about to pick it up, when a hand was suddenly clamped over his mouth, and he felt himself being pulled back away from the crate.

"So, Tony, looks like you got your memory back," Nicky said. "You were setting us up to take a fall, weren't you? You were gonna double cross us, huh? Well, let me tell you something, Little Tony. You should _never_ try to double cross a member of the Syndicate! Now, you're gonna have to pay. And believe me, twerp. You're gonna pay dearly!"


	8. Expect the Unexpected

Johnny and Gino came into the room, just as Nicky was finishing tying Fluey's wrists to the back of a wooden chair. Nicky had also tied his ankles together, and gagged him to prevent him from calling for help.

"What's going on, Nick?" Johnny asked.

"We've got a problem," Nicky said. "I don't know how, but the kid got his memory back, and he was setting us up to take a fall."

"Ho boy . . . ." Gino said. "You want we should call the gang and let them know?"

"Nah," Nicky said. "Let 'em raid the museum. Who knows? We might get some gems outta the deal. Besides, if he alerted the SSHQ, the boys'll handle 'em."

"Okay, but what about the twerp?" Johnny asked.

"We'll wait until the rest of the gang gets back from the museum," Nicky said. "Then, we'll give this kid _exactly_ what he deserves!"

Nicky began laughing. Fluey glared at him. Then he began squirming, trying to either untie himself or reach his communicator. As he was struggling, he was met with a hard slap in the face by Nicky.

"Keep still, you little worm!" he shouted, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "And don't even try thinking about getting away. We're not leaving you alone for one minute."

Fluey groaned. It was about all he could do. Then he realized something. Multi and Coiley would be expecting him at the museum. If he didn't show up, then they'd know something happened. Of course, he wasn't going to let these three goons know that. He figured he'd just bide his time, let Multi and Coiley handle the other members of the Syndicate at the museum, and wait for them to get to the warehouse.

At the museum, Multi, Coiley, and Skittles (who had transformed into Impossi-Pup some time ago) were inside, at the precious gems exhibit, hiding in a corridor, waiting for the Syndicate to show up.

"I hope Fluey found his transformer," Coiley said.

"I hope he didn't accidentally blow his cover," Multi said. Impossi-Pup then began tugging on Multi's cape, trying to get his attention. He looked down, and she went into her pointer routine (_poing!_) Multi looked at where she was pointing, and there were the rest of the Syndicate was coming in, and they began opening the cases and taking the gems out of them.

"There they are," Coiley said.

"Hold it," Multi said. "Fluey isn't with them!"

"Yeah, and neither are Calamari, Portobello, and Malone."

"Something tells me Fluey might be in big trouble, Coiley."

"Same here. But we can't go to the warehouse now. We've got to take care of this robbery first."

"Let's do it."

The two Impossibles and Impossi-Pup sprang from their hiding places just then.

"Rally ho!" the boys shouted.

"Uh oh . . . . ." the Fish said.

"All right, you crooks," Coiley said. "Game's over. Better give up."

"Oh yeah?" Guido said, pulling out his gun. "Well, take this, shorty!"

"Rally ho!" Multi shouted, duplicating himself in front of Coiley, and allowing his copies to be destroyed by the bullets.

"You got 'em all except the original!" the original Multi said with a laugh.

"I'll flatten yas!" Fat Freddy shouted.

"Sic him, Impossi-Pup!" Coiley shouted. "The only way you know how!"

Impossi-Pup barked, and saluted. Then she darted down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Looks like your doggie turned chicken!" Fat Freddy shouted, coming toward the two Impossibles, somewhat like a sumo wrestler.

Suddenly, a streak of lightning flashed into the room, and collided with Fat Freddy's stomach, and hard! Fat Freddy stumbled backward, and knocked into Chubbs. In turn, Chubbs knocked into Kid Katchatore, Kid into Lucky Louie, Lucky Louie into the Fish, the Fish into Joey, Joey into Guido, and Guido into the Big Goombah. All eight of them hit the floor, in somewhat of a domino effect.

"Good girl!" Multi praised Impossi-Pup, who was sitting on top of Fat Freddy's oversized belly.

"Give up yet?" Coiley asked.

"Yes!" the Big Goombah yelled. "Just get me outta here! I can't breathe!"

The police arrived shortly afterward and arrested the gangsters. Coiley and Multi didn't have time to see them off. They, along with Impossi-Pup, dashed to the Impossi-Jet and flew at high speed to the warehouse. Once they arrived, they landed the jet on the roof, and looked into the skylight.

"Hollerin' hi fi's!" Multi shouted. "Looks like Fluey _did_ blow his cover."

"We don't have any time to lose, Multi," Coiley said.

"Right," Multi said. "Now, here's my plan."

Multi, Coiley, and Skittles huddled and Multi gave them the plan.

Inside, meanwhile, Johnny was pacing back and forth nervously. It was making Fluey nervous just watching him!

"Where _are_ those guys?" Johnny asked.

"You don't think them Impossibles got 'em, do ya, Nick?" Gino asked.

"If they're taking this long, those stupid kids probably got 'em," Nicky said, pulling out a gun. "I ain't waiting any longer."

Fluey gulped, and tensed up as Nicky began taking aim. Nicky was just about to pull the trigger when something crashed through the skylight and landed on him, knocking him to the floor. His gun flew out of his hand. It was moving so fast, Nicky never even saw it coming.

"Rally ho!" Coiley and Multi shouted, jumping down through the hole in the skylight, each using their powers to assist their landings.

"Why do you guys always show up at the worst possible times?" Nicky asked.

"It's a living," Coiley said, shrugging.

"Well, you ain't gonna be living long!" Johnny shouted, pulling out his own gun. He began firing. Multi duplicated immediately, and let them be in the line of fire, just to confuse Johnny.

"That takes care of that," Johnny said.

"Except for one thing," Multi said, punching Johnny in the nose and knocking him off his feet. "The original!"

While Multi and Coiley were busy with the mobsters, Impossi-Pup darted over to Fluey, and began gnawing at the ropes binding his hands. This was going to take some time. These ropes were pretty strong.

Gino was desperately firing his gun at Coiley, but he was bouncing all over the room, which made it impossible (no pun intended) for Gino to keep his aim on him.

"This is impossible!" he shouted.

"You'd better believe it!" Coiley shouted, stretching one of his arms forward and clobbering Gino.

"That takes care of them," Multi said. "Come on, looks like Impossi-Pup could use a little help."

Coiley agreed, and the two Impossibles started walking toward Fluey in order to untie him. But suddenly, a gunshot rang out from what seemed to be out of nowhere. Multi let out a shriek of pain, grabbed his arm, and collapsed to his knees. Being unaware of the assailant, he didn't have the chance to let one of his copies take the bullet instead of him.

"Multi!" Coiley shouted. "Multi, are you . . . ."

Coiley never got to finish the sentence. He ended up being hit in the head hard, and knocked unconscious, by none other than Nicky Calamari. He had made himself scarce when the two Impossibles and their dog arrived, and Multi and Coiley hadn't realized this until now. Nicky also gave Multi a whack in the head with his gun, rendering the redhead unconscious as well.

"Never mess with the Syndicate, kiddies," he said. "Now to take care of that little mutt."

"Yipe!" Skittles yipped, as she saw Nicky had his gun aimed right at her. She took off like a shot, and ended up running directly into an iron safe, head first.

CLANG!

The impact left an impression on the safe, that was for sure, but it also knocked the poor little puppy out cold. Nicky laughed, and turned to Fluey, just as Johnny and Gino regained their senses.

"Okay, squirt," Nicky said. "No more fooling around! You've had this coming a long time, Tony boy. And I wouldn't count on anyone coming to your rescue. There's no one that can help you now!"

Fluey squeezed his eyes shut, and turned his head away from the gangster, as Nicky aimed his gun, and pulled the trigger. But suddenly, Nicky's arm was jerked upward, and the gun fired right at the ceiling.

"What the . . . . ." Nicky asked, confused. The gun was suddenly wrenched from his hand and thrown out the window.

"What's going on here?!" Johnny asked, and he was suddenly punched in the face, repeatedly, until he was knocked silly. And it didn't even stop there! Johnny was grabbed by the back of his shirt, as was Gino, and the two of them were thrown together, knocking their heads into each other's, and dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Okay, that does it!" Nicky shouted, looking around the room. "I don't know how they're doing this, but the SSHQ ain't gonna . . . . . whoa!"

Nicky suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground, and spun around like a record on a turntable, going at least fifty revolutions per minute. Then he was thrown on top of the other two gangsters, too dazed to even move. A wooden chair began moving by itself, and it cracked Nicky right in the head, knocking him unconscious. Fluey stared at the pile in complete shock. What in the world just happened? A bright light appeared from apparently out of nowhere, nearly blinding the teenager. When it subsided, a man with dark blond hair wearing a white suit was standing there. Fluey let out a huge sigh of relief once he saw him. The man walked over to the teenager, and removed his gag.

"Man, am I ever glad to see you!" he shouted.

"You think I'd actually let those hoods get away with this?" the man asked, untying Fluey's wrists. "Nobody, but nobody, messes with my kid and gets away with it!"

Fluey just laughed. Yes, this strange man was indeed Jack Dawson, Fluey's biological father. But he wasn't really a mortal man. He was the spirit of Jack. Jack had been assigned by the Man Upstairs to watch over Fluey since he was three years old.

"Thanks a lot, Dad," Fluey said, untying his ankles and standing up. "I thought it was the end for a minute there! But what about Coiley, Multi, and Skittles?"

"Don't you worry about them, they'll be fine," Jack said, patting his son on the shoulder reassuringly. "Coiley and Skittles will just have a couple of major headaches, and Multi just took a shot to the upper arm, it's nothing _too_ serious. However, he won't be able to take an assignment for a couple of weeks. Now I suggest you call your grandfather and get some back up in here to haul these goons off to jail. I've got to get going."

"Okay, Dad. And thanks!"

With that, Jack disappeared. Fluey activated his wrist communicator and called Big D to send for some back up. Just as he finished signing off, Coiley, Multi, and Skittles began coming to their senses. Skittles whined and staggered over to the boys. Fluey picked her up, and began stroking her back.

"Ooooh!" Multi moaned, clutching his arm. "Something tells me this is going to hurt for a long while."

"Oh boy, my aching head!" Coiley groaned. Then he saw Fluey standing there, and the three hoods laying in a heap on the floor unconscious.

"Huh?" he asked. "Hey, Fluey? What the heck just happened?"

"Trust me, fellas," Fluey said. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you!"

THE END


End file.
